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want to meet at fmd_good Wildlife Reserve
want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
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As a Japanese who has lived in Tokyo for the past 10 years, do you think that life is better now or was it better 10 years ago?
View Poll As a Japanese who has lived in Tokyo for the past 10 years, do you think that life is better now or was it better 10 years ago?
View Poll
ngl 2014 was a vibe but i'd take 2024. the convenience now is insane, like being able to pay for konbini stuff with my phone instead of fumbling for coins. sure rent's gone up near shinjuku but the new train lines make getting out to places like koenji way easier, and the late-night curry shops are still solid
Honestly I miss the quieter pre-pandemic Tokyo a bit. The tourist crowds in places like Asakusa and Shibuya were there but not as relentless, and you could still grab a seat at popular ramen spots without lining up for 40 minutes. The convenience now is great, but the city feels way more packed and hectic to me.
For me it's now, but not for the reasons people usually mention. I've been in Kichijoji the whole time, and the Inokashira Park area actually feels more usable now than it did in 2014. They cleaned up some of the sketchier corners near the zoo entrance and the Sunday flea market isn't just old junk anymore. My rent went up 20k yen but I'm saving more on utilities because the building finally got proper insulation.
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Where can I find crispy, pan-fried bacon similar to a certain international style?
if u have a costco membership the kirkland thick cut is the move, 4 packs of 500g for around 2500 yen and it crisps up proper in a cold pan. for smaller runs, precce in azabudai hills & the basement at isetan shinjuku both carry imported US & danish brands in the chilled case, just read the label for "thick cut" or "smoked" and not "loin". also worth knowing japanese bacon is often wet-cured so pat it dry before frying or it steams instead of crisping
kaldi coffee farm is hit or miss but their smoked bacon from denmark shows up pretty regular, the 200g pack runs about 600 yen. what actually works better for me is asking the butcher counter at peacock or life to slice the block bacon thick, like 5mm, they do it for free and it crisps way better than the pre-packed stuff. also fwiw cheap bacon crisps faster, the fatty supermarket kind at 300 yen a pack works fine if u cook it from cold in a dry pan and pour off the fat as it renders.
tbh the gyomu super store brand bacon is surprisingly decent for crisping up, its not thick cut but if you cook it low and slow it gets pretty crunchy. the key is the dry cure vs wet cure thing, wet cure steams. also check hanamasa if you have one nearby, they sell big packs of american style bacon thats actually smoked and firm.